


Nightmares

by BananaChef



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Comforting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I Dunno What I'm Doing RN, Kissing, London, Mutual Pining, New Relationship, Newt Stays in Her Bedroom to Comfort Her, Newt's House, Tina Has Nightmares, Tina Still Has To Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-01 17:49:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20262085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BananaChef/pseuds/BananaChef
Summary: Tina’s been having nightmares that keep her up at night, and Newt intends to fix that problem like the true gentleman he is.





	Nightmares

**6 December 1927, 10:17 PM**

Tina was sitting at a desk in the room Newt had created and lent her in his house in London, reading through notes she had taken on the events at Père Lachaise. A modest little lamp shined its meager rays throughout the modest room, leaving the far side of in deep darkness. She had a small notebook out, the thumb and pinkie of her left hand holding it open. She chewed her bottom lip vigorously as she twiddled a pen between the thumb and index finger of her right hand.

Someone knocked on the door, and Tina turned her head towards the wooden construction slightly: “Come in!”

The door slowly creaked open; Newt. Of course, it was Newt, only he would open a door like that.

“You don’t have to open it so slowly,” Tina remarked, a smirk almost sliding onto her lips—almost. But that was still an improvement from a constant frown.

Queenie's past advice echoed in her head: _ That takes more muscles than a smile, Teen! _

Tina sighed, her fingers slipping from her notebook to tuck some hair behind her ear, its pages slowly unfurling after being suppressed underneath her gentle fingertips for so long. She uncrossed her legs, set the pen on the desk, and looked up from her diligent notes, folding her legs onto the chair as she turned to face the Brit. He had mugs of steaming cocoa in his hands—how many mugs had they shared by now?

_ Too many to count_, Tina thought as he walked closer.

“I thought you’d like some,” Newt explained softly, observing the Auror through his messy fringe.

He didn’t stutter; his words were standard, calculated, rehearsed; he would always offer her hot chocolate at night when she stayed up late working. Sometimes it was an actual assignment, other times it was for her own personal investigation, but the pattern remained the same. He would help Tina with her work late into the night, and they usually didn’t stop until the contagious yawning started around one in the morning.

“Thanks,” Tina murmured as per usual, their hands grazing slightly, sending their nerves alight.

_ Maybe_, she thought pensively, staring into the finite depths of the cocoa, _ the beauty of these moments lies in the comfortable silences between us. _

“I received a letter from MACUSA today,” she stated simply, taking a sip of her cocoa and letting its warmth trickle down her throat. “I’ll have to leave soon. Most likely by the end of the month, to testify about everything.”

_ “Everything,” _ being Père Lachaise. Tina could practically _ hear _ something break inside of Newt; she could see it in the way his facial expression changed ever so slightly. His eyes glazed over as his mind sprinted through all sorts of nightmarish situations he would most certainly face when she left.

“I’ve been putting it off,” she told the freckled man sadly, as if ashamed, drawing him back to reality. As if she... _ preferred _ to stay there. She couldn’t meet Newt’s eyes with her own.

“Have you booked a ship back yet?” Newt asked quietly, unsure of what he was expecting her answer to be. He attempted to drain his woes in cocoa, pressing the rim of the intricately designed mug to his lips.

“No.” Her throat tightened, and she took another sip of cocoa, tears pricking her eyes. Her lips trembled, a clear sign that somehow punctuated the eerily still silence.

There was no point in lying; she didn't want to leave. In fact, that was the last thing she wanted to do. She forced herself to swallow, and there was an audible sound from her throat as she did so.

Newt almost asked—begged, really—if she _ had _ to leave; they had bonded so strongly it seemed absurd for them to part ways. But he didn’t. He restrained himself, the same way he had on the docks in New York a year ago.

A silence settled between them, transcending an awkward or comfortable description, for it wavered between both every second.

“What are you working on tonight?” Newt asked, shattering the delicate silence. His eyes studied the now-familiar room, coming to rest on the wilting American woman sitting on a chair wallowing in her pain.

Tina gave a sigh, and turned to look at her journal: “I’m looking through my notes about that night at the cemetery, trying to see if there's something I missed—a clue as to where they could’ve gone.” She leaned over the desk, studying the notes intently to expel her thoughts of a certain blonde witch with a radiant smile, and set the mug on the surface, expecting Newt to conjure a chair and join her.

He didn’t. “What do you think you’ll find?” he asked instead, lips pursed together in concern. He didn’t wait for her response. “The answer to all of your problems?” It slipped from his conscious stream of thought and out of his mouth; Newt immediately regretted saying it.

He hadn't said it in a mocking way, yet it still stung. “I don't know,” Tina whispered, brown eyes penetrating the desk. _ A way to get my sister back? _ she thought bitterly.

A pregnant pause filled the room, and she cleared her throat with no intention of speaking. The freckled man studiously avoided looking at the woman of his interests, observing the brown liquid in his mug instead.

“Do you know what today is?” Newt suddenly whispered. He paused as if waiting for an answer from Tina, who just continued channeling her emotions at the desk. “It’s December 6th; we met exactly a year ago.”

Her lips continued to tremble, and she only responded softly a few seconds later after forcing herself to swallow.

“Everything was different back then.”

Newt hadn't the faintest idea if that was supposed to be a good thing or a bad thing. “It was, wasn’t it?” he reminisced, settling for a neutral response.

Tina shakily grabbed her mug of cocoa; how many times had she drank a cup when she was upset? She took a long drink, trying to blink away her tears and prevent her throat from constricting painfully, but her efforts only caused the tears to spill over.

“Tina…” Newt murmured, brows creasing with worry.

“I don’t want to go,” she blurted out, a tear streaking down her face. “I’m scared, Newt,” she whispered hoarsely, her entire body shaking from pure exhaustion combined with the physical effort it was taking for her not to break out in sobs. This happened more often than she liked to admit.

The socially awkward magizoologist observed the woman before him dejectedly, a sort of desperation taking control. He stood up from his seat on her bed and plucked her mug of hot chocolate from her hands, setting both on the desk.

“You need some sleep,” he decided nervously, but as soon as she pitted her miserable gaze on him, he knew that wasn't a viable option.

_ Her nightmares_, he remembered. Had she even slept since they last stayed up late working? _ Unlikely_, he thought wryly.

The man was at a loss, his intents fluttering from pulling her into a tight hug, to kneeling in front of her and wiping the tears from her cheeks, to joining her in her sadness, to just leaving the room and letting her work out her feelings.

Suddenly he realized something: She’d said, “I’m scared, Newt.” She’d told him her feelings. She _ trusted _ him, something that only a rare few people did. A wave of confidence came over him, and he was brought back to the reality of Tina’s embarrassed sniffling.

“Tina?” he murmured, and she looked over at him, sighing. He awkwardly sat down and patted next to him on the bed, and she seemed grateful for his presence as she switched seats.

Newt bravely grasped one of her smooth, soft hands in his rough, calloused palm, their fingers intertwining automatically.

He finally finished his question, inquiring as if he were speaking to an injured animal of sorts: “What are you scared of?”

The Auror took a deep breath and blew it out, her body quaking against his. His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her close to him in a hug—one that was a long time coming but didn't feel gratifying in the slightest.

Quiet sobs wracked her body, and he felt her other hand grab his shirt as she balled it into a fist. She leaned into him, burying her head on his shoulder as the sobs subsided, and she took deep, calming breaths.

“I’m scared that I’m losing the only family I have left,” she managed after a few tense, heartbreaking moments. She stressed some of the words, leaning into Newt slightly every time. “I miss her, Newt... I swore to protect Queenie when our parents died, and I failed. I’m bawling my eyes out instead of chasing after her!”

“Shhh…” Newt murmured, his hand finding its way to Tina's head, and brushing his fingers gently through her hair. “Tina, I know this isn’t ideal—”

“This is all balled up,” she interjected from her position against him; he could feel her tears soaking through his shirt.

“I agree—but we need to rest. We can’t find them if we don't have the energy to.” Newt didn’t know where he was going with his speech, but his words had the desired effect on Tina.

She sighed, toying with one of the buttons on his shirt. “I just... my dreams, they wake me up, and I can't fall back asleep.” That was a partial lie; maybe she’d be able to fall asleep again, but she was too scared to try.

“Do you—um, would you like me to—to stay?” Newt managed shakily. She shifted against him, bringing her legs beside her on the bed, and he felt his heart flutter; he didn’t think he could’ve left the room then even if he needed to.

Tina had finally stopped shaking, and she nodded her head slowly. “I’d prefer that.” She carefully moved away from Newt and looked anywhere in the room except at him, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I’ll go change…” she murmured.

As soon as she left his side to grab her pajamas, he shivered. He told himself it was simply because of the low winter temperatures around the house, but he secretly knew better. Tina left the room for the bathroom and came back a few minutes later in her typical pajamas. Newt stood up and summoned a book from his room, leaning out the doorway as Tina climbed in bed.

Newt walked over to her desk and sat down in the chair, turning the lamp off and bathing the room in shadow.

“G’night, Newt,” Tina murmured, giving in to her exhaustion.

“Goodnight, Tina,” he whispered back. “I’ll be here if you need me.” He could’ve sworn he heard her thank him softly, but he wasn't sure. “Lumos…” Newt murmured as Tina’s subtle snores replaced the silence that had previously enveloped the room...

* * *

**7 December 1927, 1:09 AM**

Tina tossed and turned in bed, the blanket tangling around her as she whimpered, a distressing look on her sleeping face. Newt closed his eyes tighter before opening them; the light from his wand had long since faded.

Tina whimpered again and he sat up, wide awake now. He heard her breathing heavily, and he attempted to stand up from his awkward position in the chair, almost falling over. Grunting quietly, he tried again, this time successful. Moving onto the bed he shook Tina delicately, and her eyes snapped open. She shot up, breathing hard, her eyes filled with tears. She seemed to know that she’d only had a nightmare, but her eyes still flitted around the room, paranoid.

“He... he killed Queenie,” she murmured, finally meeting Newt's eyes. The tears didn’t spill over, but she’d started shaking again.

Newt pulled her into a hug without thinking, and by the time he realized what he’d done, Tina had already looped her arms over his shoulders and around his neck. He pulled her tighter in an attempt to quell her anxious shaking, gently brushing his fingers through her hair.

“Shhhh…” he murmured, and Tina buried her face in his shoulder as she breathed deeply.

When she had finally stopped shaking, Newt asked her a simple question: “Are you alright to go back to sleep?” he whispered tenderly.

She shook her head slowly, her forehead brushing against his shirt, sending tingles throughout his body.

“I can’t…” she whispered so quietly that it took him a few seconds to interpret what she’d said.

“Humans can’t function properly without sleep,” he told her, a hint of teasing in his voice to lighten the mood—had she heard him correctly?

“I know…” she murmured. “But coffee can always replace sleep.”

“It would take a lot more than a cup of coffee to make up for your lack of sleep,” he responded knowingly, fingers still combing through her hair.

“Yeah,” she acknowledged in a whisper. A few content moments passed in silence. “Thank you.”

“What on Earth for?” Newt mumbled in his typical fashion.

“Staying here with me,” Tina elaborated softly, turning her head to look him in the eyes.

“I couldn’t imagine doing otherwise,” he replied, lips hinting at a smile.

She sighed and unwrapped her arms from around his neck, letting them fall to her sides awkwardly. He moved to get off the bed, but Tina grabbed his hand, causing him to stop.

“Stay,” she whispered.

“I’m not leaving, I'll just be—”

“Stay. Please,” she pleaded. Her eyes conveyed what she couldn’t with words: _ Because I need you. _

Newt moved back towards her, tucking her hair behind her ear, and she leaned into his touch, her breath hitching.

“We need to sleep,” he murmured, lost in her eyes.

“I’d rather not be woken up by another nightmare,” Tina murmured in protest.

They were barely an inch apart, and the two each swallowed down their fears. She parted her lips slightly to let out a breath, and that was it; he couldn't help himself. Newt captured her lips with his own in a kiss that was anything but awkward.

She was surprised at first, but quickly melted into him, a soft sigh escaping her lips when he gently bit hers. Their tongues met in an intricate dance for a few moments before they pulled away for air. He kissed his way down her jawbone to the sensitive spot just beneath her ear, eliciting a quiet moan.

Suddenly Newt pulled away, causing Tina to huff in protest.

“We shouldn’t do this,” he murmured, not meeting her eyes.

“Why?” she asked genuinely, leaning closer to him.

“I—you—we—you’re not—well, um, you—you’re seeing someone. Currently,” he managed.

“What?”

“Tolliver. Achilles Tolliver.”

“No... we’re simply good friends. It... it’s a complicated story. Later, alright?”

“Are—are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m sure.”

He gave her a small, relieved smile, and met her eyes for a moment before skittering away.

“We still shouldn't do that. It's inappropriate," Newt voiced.

Tina's hands found his, and she brought their palms together, lacing their fingers. The gesture said _ I don’t mind. Do you? _He didn’t.

He brought one of his hands to her cheek and cupped it for a few seconds before redirecting it and brushing his fingers through her hair.

“You’re very beautiful,” he told her breathlessly, and she pursed her lips, momentarily confusing him.

Then he looked her in the eyes: _ Really? _

“Really,” he replied to her unspoken question.

She smiled and leaned towards him, capturing his lips in a tender kiss and looping her arms around his neck.

* * *

“I thought it would take you longer,” Tina told him bluntly.

“To do what?” Newt asked, and she brushed his fringe away from his eyes.

“Kiss me. I thought that it would take a few years for you to work up the courage.”

He gave a small smile. “I reckoned that you’d be the one to kiss me. I didn’t think I’d ever work up the courage, and I assumed that if you wanted to kiss, you’d eventually get fed up with waiting and do it yourself.”

Tina smirked at him, her eyes pinpricks of light in the darkness of the room. “_That _ was your plan?”

“I suppose…”

“You’re lucky I’m already in love with you, because that’s a stupid plan."

“You—you... love me?” Newt repeated questioningly.

A flash of fear passed in her eyes, and she looked away from him. “I... yes. I am... quite sure of that now. Do... do you not reciprocate?”

“No, I do. I very much do,” he told her with a smile, and he brought his lips to hers once more.

* * *

Dawn would find them as a tangle of limbs and blankets; pure bliss, soon to be interrupted by an announcement of breakfast.

**Author's Note:**

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